Voices from the Inside
by FairiesInOurHearts
Summary: A collection of kind of angsty drabbles and songfics, mostly about Jellal, Erza, Juvia and Gray (separately or as a couple).
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I didn't plan on posting anything yet but the new chapter was... Oh God, my heart. I know FT is ending soon, but... For _this _I was not ready.**

**Spoilers ahead, if you didn't read chapter 416 don't read this either.**

**This is actually going to be a collection of angsty drabbles...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.**

Title: The End

Summary: All in the past.

Word count: 277

* * *

It's obvious that she's afraid. She's trembling. And even though he doesn't know the exact reason, he can guess.

He's seen her act like that before, in the Tower of Heaven.

She's probably questioning her strength, this world, the good and the bad, and she's remembering all of the horrors she's been through, all of the sacrifices, the lies, the darkness. Maybe, she's wondering does the light even exist. Can she believe in it, believe in others? It pains him to see her like that. But she will get over it.

"You'll be okay", he says, "Don't worry".

She's surprised, evidently, but he doesn't turn around. She stands up. He continues to walk.

"You know the weakness and strength of man well enough. So continue on, into the path of light. Just as you've done all along."

His expression, one she can't see, shows so many emotions. He's different. He's changed, for the better or worse. He has accepted his destiny. To walk the path of darkness, along with his _comrades, _in order to erase Zeref and make sure no one will suffer like him.

But also, he has accepted _this_.

When their paths intertwine, for _one last time_, he will disappear. He has to.

And she will be the one to erase him, with her light, more brilliant than ever. She will shine, _oh so brightly_, and he will disappear in the best way possible. Showered with light. _Her _light.

So this is the end. The memories, good and bad, don't matter anymore. It's all in the past to stay. And never return.

She will move on.

And he will finally receive the punishment he deserves.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Another drabble based on the 416th chapter. I swear that chapter broke me, I'm drowning in the feels (not in a good way!) and the next chapter better fix that!**

**On the other hand, maybe I'm just being too pessimistic as always and am reading too much into _the _moment. I hope so...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FT.**

Title: Acceptance

Summary: They can't fight fate.

Word count: 316

* * *

It wasn't meant to be.

It simply _wasn't meant to be._

No matter how much _she_ struggled, no matter how much _he_ struggled, they weren't meant for each other and, deep inside, they both knew that. She chose to ignore it. He unwillingly accepted it. But they can't run away anymore. The truth is catching up, and they can no longer turn their heads away. They have to face it with an open mind and an open heart.

Just give in.

Because, after all, they can't win. They're up against the universe.

Call them cursed, star crossed, it doesn't really matter. Do they have to have a name, anyway? Wouldn't giving them a name be… selfish? Maybe they don't want that, maybe they don't want to remember.

Who are they kidding?

They don't want to _forget_.

Their love, as tainted, horrifying and sad it is, is still a big part of them, something to cherish, nurture till the end of their days. It may be tragic, but it's also beautiful and they know that nobody can have what they have. It will last until their last breath, even if only in a corner of their hearts. Yes, _in a corner_, because even though she loves him, loves him so, _so _much, she doesn't want to sacrifice her life and spend it mourning. She wants a family, a happy life. He has no right to take that away from her – he wouldn't dare.

He wants her to be happy.

Nothing more.

She deserves it.

And as they both resign to the sad ending of their story, they grow stronger. She will one day create a home filled with happiness, and he will fulfill his purpose in life. Some day, they might meet again.

They'll greet each other like old friends.

And, just a little, their hearts will sting.

They couldn't have what they should have had.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I was re-reading Fairy Tail, and then... Yup, this happened. This one's a bit longer than the previous two. I hope you... _enjoy_? I need to stop putting my favorite characters (and myself) through pain and suffering...**

Title: In and out

Summary: His mind is slipping away.

Word count: 397

* * *

Eight years.

It's been eight years since he saw her.

She didn't see _him_, though. No, what she sees is merely a thought projection, an illusion, not the real him (_sometimes_ _he wonders, though, who the _real_ him is_). She charged at him straight away. Foolish woman, attacking one of the councilmen. She has become quite reckless, he muses. And then he thinks, maybe this meeting is fate. Maybe _his God _sent her to him to make things more interesting. Oh, if that's so, he doesn't mind at all. The game had been quite boring, anyway.

(_And maybe she was sent to finally free him_\- but oh, what is he thinking? There is no one she needs to free him from.)

…

Truly, she truly is reckless, he thinks while a smile too fond for his own tastes forms on his face. But that guild of hers must have rubbed off of her. They are not only hot-headed, though. How strong has _she _become during these eight years?

He will find out soon.

(_He hopes she's strong enough to destroy him_\- no, he doesn't! What is wrong with him?)

…

She's here and she's come to fight him. Just as planned. But he knows she can't kill him. The foolish girl is still trapped in the past, still trapped in the feelings. The one she knows is long gone, though, and he won't ever return again (_but he's trying and trying and_\- stop!). She attacked him, and for a moment he was surprised at how strong she was – is that the same girl he once knew?! (_It's not_ – the voice tells him – _but neither are you_).

_(You've become despicable.)_

…

His pawn _(friend) _is dead. Killed by him personally, though that guy was not who he had originally aimed for _(she's alive!)_. Useless sacrifice, for they will all be dead soon. _She_ will be sacrificed. He will finally achieve his true freedom.

_(His freedom is forever lost from his reach.)_

…

He is beaten. They had won. How is this possible?! How could he lose?! How, when the greatest of all had been with him this whole time?! No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no! He refuses to believe this! It's not real! It can't be!

_(It's finally over. She's finally free.)_

Doesn't matter, though. They will all be dead. Him included but that's fine. He'll take them down along with him.

He moves his head and sees her fuse with the crystal.

… _Such a fool…_

…

It's painful, it's burning and it's tearing him inside out, but it's okay. It's the price he will pay. For all he has done, he believes, he will be punished and this is not the end of his torment. However, she is safe, and that's the greatest reward he had received.

She's alive. She will get through this.

_(And at last, he is himself, he can think clearly.)_

_(And maybe _that_ is_ _some sort of freedom, isn't it?)_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Uh, I kind of had a bad day and this just came out and well... I'm not sure what the hell is this. I was sad and I was angry at the same time, and as a result of me wanting to vent out, this was created. It's not made to judge people who mock Juvia, just to make them think a bit. Juvia is a fictional character - but what about the real people? There are so many people out there that judge by appearance or rumors, and that is not good at all. We need to stop doing that.**

**Anyway, enough of my ranting. This drabble is about Juvia, unlike the previous three, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it could refer to some others, too. _Anyway. I should stop now._**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FT.**

Tittle: Little girl

Summary: You don't know her.

Word count: 372

* * *

Hey, do you know about her? The girl with the bouncy blue hair and sparkly blue eyes? Have you ever seen her?

Oh, you have? You say that's the overly bubbly girl who's always desperately clinging to that poor raven haired guy. You say she's the creepy girl that could _kill _you with her eyes only if you looked at _her precious_ _man_ longer than three seconds. You _claim _that she is _insane _and has a few (more like many) loose screws in her head and you don't want her near you…

Ah, as I thought. You really don't know her at all. "What do you mean?", you ask. But the answer is so simple. _You never saw her_. You never saw _the real _her. You never understood what she went through, and not once did you try to help her. You never bothered to look beyond the surface, look inside her heart. If you did, you'd see it. The pain. The uncertainty. All those questions that never seemed to leave her, or let go of her.

"Is she needed?"

"Do they want her?"

"What if they hate her?"

The lies, the masks, you never saw through them. You judged her without giving her a chance. You _evaluated _her, as if she were some sort of a thing. As if she couldn't feel. Well, she can, and she feels more strongly than many others you may know.

She's afraid, so every little bad thing you say hurts her, but in order not to let you see it, she puts on masks. She pretends. That's her way of fighting. Because she believes she is weak, she thinks that hiding is her only way of protecting herself, the only way she can fight for herself. She never lets anyone know of the storms inside her heart or the turmoil in her head, because she is scared everyone will leave her.

She is not alone, no. But she feels lonely. _So, so lonely._

So, then, let me ask you again: _do _you know her?

_The little girl with the perfect smile_

_The little girl always acting so wild_

_The little girl that doesn't know what to do_

_The little girl that is hiding the truth_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This time, the story is focused on Jellal, though there are some hints of Jerza here and there... And to be honest, I find Jellal easier to write than Erza... I don't know why...**

**Near the end, I kind of wanted those few sentences to have a double meaning, not sure if I succeeded...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.**

Title: Broken soul

Summary: In his mind, chaos rules.

Word count: 474

* * *

It's resurfacing once again.

The pity he feels for himself.

And he frowns, because he doesn't deserve any kind of pity, and he certainly doesn't deserve to pity himself.

He's just not worth it.

Because of all of the unforgivable things he's done, and all of the desperate attempts to amend himself, to show the world that he is _not _just a cursed, unnecessary existence, he denies himself of feeling anything else other than the need to devote himself to the goal of _lessening _the amount of evil in this world. The evil can't be erased, no. Only innocent people believe in that and he's far too tainted to be allowed to think of anything like that. It's simple. He's lost the right to feel the innocence long ago.

And he's not even sure why is he letting himself wallow in his self-pity now of all times. He could have done it yesterday. He could do it tomorrow. He _should have done_ _it _the minute he heard that horrible news of his light getting swallowed up by the ocean, most probably never to return.

But he does it now, and tries to justify his feelings by telling himself that he's only human, that it can't be helped.

And then he laughs at his own face because _humanity _is another thing he has lost long ago.

Then he looks up at the sky. He looks up at the heavens that seem to be mocking him. So beautiful. Part of him, but he will never be a part of them. A paradise. One, he will never know of (as if he ever knew of _any_ paradise in his dark, bleak, somber life).

To what does he even amount? Just what does he mean to this warped world? He's not a saint. A sinner, probably. Not the demon itself. Never an angel. Maybe something in between?

The chill he feels creeping up his spine abruptly awakes him from his labyrinthine thoughts, and he welcomes the awareness, almost as much as he craves the slumber. He shoves the delirium away, begging it to leave him alone for a while. Because it _will _return. So he can only hope it'll come much later. That's all he asks for.

But maybe one day, it will disappear completely. Maybe some day, it will be gone entirely.

…No. Not maybe. _Surely._ And when that happens, he will either be gifted with the eternal sleep he is longing for, or he will find his undeserving self in the arms of the embodiment of the goodness, of the light, of all things sacred (he reminds himself he's not allowed to feel this, to feel _hope_).

He turns away. Back to the darkness. Back to the light. Back to the hopelessness. Back to the faith.

His back to the universe.

And universe's back to him.

* * *

A/N: Back as in _return to someone/thing _and back as in _turn your back on someone/thing_. Just so it's more or less clear...


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: It's Gray and Juvia this time! Well, it's only Gray, but... This _little_ drabble was born after listening to a certain song which awoke all kinds of angsty feelings inside of me, and I just had to get them out.**

**P.S.: Sorry for the lame title...**

Title: You're gone

Summary: ...and I'm too late.

Word count: 645

* * *

There was no more time.

She was leaving.

And it was his fault.

Looking at the empty closet and drawers that were once full of her things, Gray finally realized what was happening. He didn't believe her when she first said that she was leaving, but the emptiness of the apartment was more than enough evidence that she was not lying. She was really gone. And he couldn't blame her.

When they first met, she was a girl who was disappointed at the world, a girl whose hopes and dreams were all crushed. But he had changed her – that was what she had always said. From the beginning, she never hid her feelings for him, but he always tried very hard to ignore them. He accepted her as a friend, but made it clear that he felt nothing more than that towards her. She always answered to that with one of her beautiful, but sad smiles, and said that she knows. But as time passed by, Gray became more and more attached to this incredible blue haired storm that appeared one day and changed his life completely. So, one day, he took her out on a "friendly outing" and asked her to be his girlfriend.

He will never forget the overjoyed look on her face.

But ignorant as he was, he never paid attention to the world around him. To him, emotions were too troublesome to deal with, so he often, without even realizing, hurt the girl that slowly turned into someone that meant the world to him.

He realized that too late.

And now she was gone.

On all those nights she cried herself to sleep, he should have said something. Every time a look of hurt crossed her beautiful face after he said some words he didn't mean, he should have apologized. For all the missed dates, anniversaries, Gray should have made it up somehow, but he didn't. Now, he was paying the price.

She had loved him so much. He always took that for granted.

There was no one left to greet him in the morning with a soft peck on the lips, or a radiant smile on her face. There was no one to spend the lazy days, relaxing on the couch with him, nor was there anyone to scold him when he unconsciously shed another layer of his clothing.

No one was there to accept all of his bad sides, all of his faults, and turn them into something good, something useful.

It was too much, Gray couldn't take it anymore. He collapsed onto the cold floor beneath him and stared off into nothing in particular. His eyes stung, but no tears left them. His throat clenched, and he couldn't breathe. His heart felt like a heavy lead in his chest and he cursed the damned thing for not doing anything, for not realizing that he was losing her. He felt empty. And he wanted to see her.

He wanted this all to be a dream, a bad nightmare he would wake up from in her soothing arms, telling him that everything was alright. But he knew that was impossible, so he at least wanted to talk to her one last time. He needed to ask her… whether she could be the same old her again. The one that loved him more than anything. He wanted to ask her whether she would want to return to him, if he changed, if he showed his affection more often, if he allowed himself to look at her the way she deserved it – as if she were his sunshine, his world, his everything.

But he knew that all of those questions would die on his lips before he managed to voice them out. That always happened. Besides, it wouldn't make any difference.

There was no more time.

And she was not his anymore.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm pissed. _Very _pissed. I mean, really?!**

**Spoilers ahead.**

**The whole Gray thing is driving me insane - it's obvious he either went Silver or pulled a Sasuke, but that's not important. _Juvia_. Spent _half a year_. _Waiting for Gray in the rain_. Did she not do anything else?! No training or something? Way to take away her development. It's. Not. Fair. And damn, I love Gray, I really do, but he is ANNOYING me right now. Uuuugh, I hope they explain his situation soon, and Juvia doesn't stay depressed for long.**

**This is in different form than the other stuff I wrote, and it's very short.**

**And yeah, I made Juvia mad in the end.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FT.**

Tittle: Falling back

Summary: Falling away.

Word count: 155

P.S.: Sorry for the rant.

* * *

Tired. So, so tired.

Why won't he return?

She's still waiting.

In the rain.

Cold, cold rain.

Seems it's back.

…

Why?

Why did he leave?

What happened?

Did she say something, do something wrong?

Why?

…Why?

…

How much longer?

She's still waiting.

Won't he come back?

The rain isn't stopping.

The rain is still falling.

It won't stop.

No, it won't stop.

How much longer?

…

She's desperate.

Alone, and lonely, and desperate.

Where is he?

It's been so long…

…

Maybe she should just give up.

…

Weak.

She's stupid, and pathetic, and weak.

She knows.

But she still hopes he'll return.

…

No more.

She's not waiting.

They're here.

They'll help her.

They'll find him.

She believes in that.

…

But she's still tired.

Of always waiting.

Of always fearing.

She can't do that anymore.

She's done with it.

…

She'll find him.

…

_But he wasn't the one after all._


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: This I wrote a long time ago, and I figured I might as well post it now, together with the previous one.**

**This one isn't spoilerish. And it's about Jellal and Erza. And it's in Jellal's P.O.V. - first and probably last time I'm writing in first face.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.**

Title: Regret

Summary: Some things can never be erased...

Word count: 192

* * *

I'm sorry.

I really am.

It can never be undone…

What I did…

…

In another life…

We could have…

In another life, I could have loved you freely.

In another life, I could have held you freely.

In another life, you… could have been mine.

In another life…

…

I'm sorry…

It's all my fault.

I was week.

Forgive me _(not)_.

I…

If only I… If only I never… If only I were stronger…

And now you're suffering.

Because of me.

If only I could wipe those tears away.

If only I could kiss you.

…

You deserve happiness.

So please, be happy…

…for me…

…because I can never be _(without you)_.

I need you.

I can't have you.

You deserve better.

_(I never wanted to lose you.)_

Don't forget.

The pain I've caused you.

_(I never meant to hurt you…)_

The anger you've felt.

…

The hatred you've never…held for me.

Awake it.

Erase me.

…Destroy my heart…

I beg you…

Despise me.

Loathe me.

Detest me.

That way…

I can finally…

…Let you go.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

…

I love you.

…

_(Don't ever forgive me.)_


	9. songfic

**A/N: Uuuuh, I couldn't resist.**

**I had just finished the Gruvia week, and wrote a lot of stories about Gray and Juvia, so I wanted the next thing I posted to be Jerza (because I have so little stories about them, and they're my dear babies - I feel ashamed), but...**

**The song "The end has come" by Ben Moody and Jason Miller and Jason Jones played on my MP3, and I just though, _"Gray"_ (petition for this song to become the official Avatar!Gray song). No, seriously, just listen to it and you'll see what I'm talking about.**

**Also, I realize that I haven't posted anything here in _ages_, but I didn't abandon this collection, no sir. And the next thing I post will _surely _be Jerza (I'm already working on a story). Anyway, hope you enjoy and sorry for the long Author's Note, I sometimes don't know how to stop.**

**Also, I don't own FT nor the song.**

Title: The END has come (pun intended)

Word count: 332

* * *

"_No backing down."_

"_You can't turn around now."_

…

Gray strolled around the halls of the Avartar's base, disinterestedly studying its architecture. The building was hidden in some kind of a weird, dark forest, and Gray figured it's some kind of a precaution, in order for them not to be found so easily.

Whatever. As if he _cared_.

Those _guild mates _of his mean nothing to him, and he's only using them to get to his goal - the book of E.N.D. Nothing else matters to him.

The demons had ruined his life. They took _everything_ away from him, leaving him broken and exhausted, constantly haunted by the tragedies of his past. He had been stupid enough to believe that his _comrades _(ex- guild mates) could save his soul, but he finally woke up. He realized that he didn't need _anyone_, nor did he need _anything_ but the drive to destroy those he hates.

Even at the expense of becoming one of them.

He's stopped caring, stopped feeling, and he's _so_ much better off like that. He had traded his weak heart for one made out of ice, and he's _sure_ that that one will serve him better than his previous heart ever did before. His mind is also clearer than it was, now focused on one thing only. As long as he gets his revenge, he will be satisfied. The only thing he lives for, is seeing the demise of his archenemy, and nothing else.

He'll _obliterate_ him.

He'll _destroy_ him.

He'll make him _pay_.

"You take my everything…", Gray whispered, creating the finest sword of ice, swinging it around as if battling with someone. Then, he abruptly stopped, his crimson eyes focused on something that wasn't there, and hatred, malice and blood thirst shone inside of them.

"… _I take your dying breath_.", he uttered with poison dripping from his lips, and the darkness eating away at his soul.

…

"_My end had long come."_

"_Now, I come for _him_."_

* * *

A/N: I know it says "You trip on everything/ I'll take your tired breath" in the official lyrics, but I always heard "You take my everything/ I take your dying breath", and I like it better, so...


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Please, please forgive me. But I couldn't fight it...**

**This fic, is very weird, and kind of unclear, and probably just a word vomit but I decided to grow a pair and post it. First, I want to say that I don't know what came over me when I wrote it, nor why did I write it this way, but it happened and there's nothing that can be done. Second, this is in first face, but the person is Juvia, so I know her pattern of speech is different, but it just wouldn't fit and _please _try to look past it, okay?**

**Third, the one I imagined in the end was Lyon. I wrote on my profile that Lyvia is my guilty pleasure, so, in future, whenever you read a story of mine in which Juvia left Gray and is with someone else (which won't be often, but still), it's 99% Lyon (actually, I _might _have a story written about that).**

**Anyway, this is the longest drabble in this collection up until now, and the drabble I'm posting next is as long.**

Title: Drown

Summary: ...and he fell into the whirlpool he could no longer escape.

Word count: 726

* * *

I love you.

I love you and, _God_ it feels so great to be able to finally say those three words to someone, without fearing the ridiculing eyes, or the mocking smirk forming on their face. You've accepted me for who I am. No, wait – you've turned me into someone better. And the rain that always seemed to follow me finally disappeared, and I could see the clear sky at last, all thanks to you.

You saved me. From myself.

And you gave me the kind of happiness I never thought I'd have.

…

But then we fought. You yelled at me for being too clingy and not giving you some space to breathe. I apologized, because I didn't want to make you suffocate, but this is the first time I've ever felt a love this strong, and I'm too scared to lose you. I backed away and you returned after a while, saying that you're sorry and you didn't mean what you said – you were just in a bad mood, and I was the unfortunate victim of your anger.

It's okay – that's what lovers are for, right? We're always there for each other, being each other's strength and support. Sometimes, we'll fight, but soon we'll make up because we're _us_, and we can't be one without the other for too long.

We depend on each other.

I know, because I depend on you.

…

But maybe I was wrong. Maybe we're _not_ supposed to rely one on another too much. Maybe we're _not_ supposed to become so dependant, because it's not healthy to be so… _bound _to someone, like you can't lead your life without that person. I _know _it's not healthy, because all the days and nights I waited for you while you were gone (God knows where) seemed like a torture, and they drained me, physically and mentally, and I was so _confused_.

_What_ was I supposed to do without you?

_(And why is it that you can function so normally without me?)_

…

Everybody says I've changed and at first, that made me very happy. I was no longer the gloomy girl everyone avoided – I was free from the heavy clouds hanging above my head. But slowly, I began to notice something.

I'm changing way more than I should.

Because you always say that I should do this, or need to look like that, and you assure me it's for my own good, because people might _frown _upon my natural reactions (and they make you embarrassed, and you don't want that). I started to see that I became _so_ different, that not a speck of the original I was left. I lost myself.

I've changed completely – and that's not what I wanted.

I know that I was supposed to change here and there, cut on some of my habits and change some of my traits, but I was _not _supposed to become somebody else. Because that's what I see in the mirror now – someone else.

Your creation.

…

I was blind. God, I was _so_ blinded by my wishes and hopes that I never noticed how _wrong _this all is. I've willingly let you take control over me, and little by little, you turned me into something _you_ wished for. I was like a clay doll you took and formed by your own will, ignoring _my _needs and _my _feelings.

And you never tried to save me – you took the rain away because _you _were bothered by it, and _you _couldn't stand it.

Not for me.

You never did _anything_ for me.

And now that I've finally realized that, I'm bringing an end to this story.

…

I found someone new, and he's _so_ _much_ better than you. He'd never make me change, for or because of him – he loves me for who I am, and the only changes within me he'd accept are the ones I'd want myself.

_Now_, I can truly say-

_I love him_ and it feels like heaven has finally opened its door for me.

And I don't have to fear the gray sky anymore, because when _we_ kiss, the skies _crack open_ and all of my emotions come pouring down like the merciless rain, showering us both in delight, happiness and pure bliss, creating a river of the strongest feelings.

_And I hope you drown in it._


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I was in a weird mood when I wrote this, as well.**

**And the long story I wrote for Jerza is almost completely done, I just need to edit it and stuff, but they came out a bit OOC, so I'm a bit scared to post it... It's and AU, and it's not really... Jerza-like (read: it's not angsty), but I really, really hope you'll like it, because Jerza is my OTP but they're hard to write, and although I know I'm not that good, I try.**

**On to the story now (this one _is _angst).**

Title: Sacrifice the heart

Summary: Because it was the only way he knew how to love - from the shadows.

Word count: 735

* * *

_You can't lose what you never had_

…

From the very moment she had laid her eyes on him, she had him captivated, and he became a prisoner of her will. He knew, when their eyes locked across the crowded room full of strangers, that he will never be able to resist anything she said.

Unknowingly, and probably unwillingly, she had become the master of his heart.

And he, the faithful servant ready to put his life on the line.

…

It's not like he'd ever try to fight it. He was hers from the start, and he'd stay hers 'till the end. She was the owner of his last breath and the thought put him at ease, because he knew that the last thing he'd see would be the vibrant scarlet of her hair, the scarlet he fell in love with at the first sight.

But she never treated him differently. She acted towards him as if he was her equal, not someone lower. She called him her friend, her _closest _friend, and his heart would go wild whenever she said that because one part would be delighted that she held him so _high_, that he was so _important_ to her, but the other would _scream_ in disapproval because he never wanted to be her _friend_.

He wanted more, or he wanted less, because the title she had given him drove him insane – _she was so close_.

Yet further than he would ever be able to reach.

…

He had been with her through her ups and downs, her rise and fall, and he had the honor of seeing firsthand what a truly remarkable creature she was – beautiful, strong, kind. She was the embodiment of goodness and all things sacred.

He wanted to call her perfection, but it was her flaws that made her who she was.

She was more fragile than anyone knew – she didn't like showing her weakness to other people, but he knew her too well (better than himself). She could never hide anything from him, because he was her shadow. And everything that hurt _her_, hurt _him_ ten times worse. Because of that, it was always hard for him to mend her, when he would be broken as well.

It was always someone else that helped her.

And he knew _that_ would be his downfall.

…

Many men came and passed by, and he'd have to sit by the sidelines and watch in anguish and envy how they tried to take possession of something they could never own.

She would never belong to anyone.

But, every time someone new appeared in her life, his heart would clench and it would feel as if someone's hands (in his dreams they were always _hers_) took hold of it and squeezed it and tore it, then threw it on the ground so they could step on it, just to return it to its place broken and beaten, badly sewn up so it would last for a couple of more days until they got bored and decided it was time to _play _again.

He was a coward, though, and he was never able to fight off those hands, in fear of _hurting them_.

Still, whenever another victim would fall, defeated by his incredible _mistress_, he'd hope. That there was still a chance for him. And that one day, he'd be brave enough to take it.

…

But of course that fate was cruel and nothing ever went his way. Luck was never on his side, so it didn't even surprise him when the last man never left. He'd noticed, but tried to pretend otherwise, that the queen of his heart grew fond of that insolent, undeserving (warm-hearted and brave) man, who just snuck into their peaceful lives one day and turned them upside down, and wrong became right and right became wrong and he _knew_.

He just _knew_.

He had forever lost her and would never be able to get another chance.

…

As he returned from the celebration of his mistress and that man's love one day, however, he realized something.

You can't lose what you never had.

And that thought helped him late at night, as he drank his tears away, and laughed at the ridiculous coward he had been, facing with the fact that his heart had now become an empty vessel, and he couldn't offer it as a sacrifice anymore.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: So, I was on tumblr again (I really should just make an account there), and I saw, guess what, another FT week! (We have _way _too many weeks, but, hey, I'm not complaining!) So this one is an angst week, and the stories could be about pretty much anyone, so I searched through my folders to see if I have something angsty I could post and ta-dah! I found two short stories I wrote _quite _some time ago, one from Erza's P.O.W. and the other from Jellal's, so I decided to post them (excuse their shortness and their stupidity).**

**They both kinda fit the prompt "Gone forever" of the day five (which is today). I tried to write a songfic based on Gone Forever by 3DG, but was too lasy, so.. Sorry.**

Title: In pieces

Summary: And he's gone, forevermore.

Word count: 217

* * *

She felt like screaming.

Oh, yes, she felt like screaming and _screaming _and ripping somebody's throat out or just cutting someone to shreds.

But that won't bring him back, will it?

No matter what she does now, it's too late. She can go ahead and vent her anger and despair and hurt on anybody she wants, but thatwon't change_ the fact that he's dead and gone_. Dead. Gone. No more.

He's not here.

Ever again.

So cruel, the fate. And she had finally had him. At last, he had accepted her, accepted _them _and their more than obvious feelings. He had given her, given himself a chance, a way, a solution, _an answer_. He had said he'd fight. He had promised her, no, he had _sworn_ thathe'd try. And he did. God, he had tried so hard. But just when everything had seemed so perfect, he…

Oh God, he had given up again.

For _her_. Always, always for her. She never asked him. He always did it none the less. Multiple times. He had put his life on the line, oh, too many times. This time was no exception. Or no, wait, it was.

Because _this time_, he didn't make it.

And he had left her broken.

And no, she won't ever be repaired again.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Here's the second story! I hope you'll like them at least a tiny bit!**

**(Also, guess who's participating in the Jerza week!)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FT. (I got tired of writing this, can I just not? No?)**

Title: Round and round

Summary: It never stopped spinning.

Word count: 182

* * *

It's still spinning.

Even though she's lying there, dirty and motionless on the tarnished ground, the damned thing is _still_ spinning! Even though she's cold, so cold, and still as a stone, and paler than the moonlight, it hasn't stopped turning yet…

Why?

It should stop.

Why isn't it stopping?

Because, after all, _his_ world stopped spinning the moment she fell (his only life). _His_ world lost its warmth and its sunshine (his only light). _His_ world has no air, no oxygen left to intake (his only hope).

He's left breathless.

Suffocating.

Why?

Even though she's drowning in her own blood, red becoming the color he hates the most (ironic, isn't it?). Even though her friends are broken, oh, so damaged, screaming and crying and cursing for their fallen comrade…

Her.

_She_ fell.

(His only…)

…Even though he doesn't have a reason to live anymore (she's gone), even though he can't smile anymore (she took his smile with her), even though his hopes and dreams and salvation is no more (because _she_ is no more)…

Even so…

The Earth never stopped spinning.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Saw a prompt like this on tumblr, and I couldn't help it... Also, in the next few days, I might be posting all of the short stories I intended for this collection, then I'm focusing on another collection of stories I'll be writing, but I still might post something here from time to time. :)**

Title: Love that's no more

Summary: And the lie that was born.

Word count: 656

* * *

_Anagapesis – lack of interest in former loved ones_

She believed it would never happen. That no matter what, she would always love him. That even after years of being together (or not), she wouldn't grow tired of him. Never. He was the one, the only one, he was her soulmate, her savior, her friend, her family.

But it happened.

And now she doesn't know what to do.

Juvia remembered how he used to say she didn't feel love towards him, but mere infatuation, admiration, physical attraction. She would shake her head aggressively and swear that what she feels is more than that, _so much more_, and that if only he gave her a chance, she would prove it. But Gray still refused to give in. He had lost many important people in his life, and he didn't want to go through the agonizing pain of losing someone else. She was stubborn, though. She never surrendered. Each and every day she tried to show him how much he meant to her, how much she needed him.

And little by little, she made her way under his skin. She took a hold of his heart and sneaked into one of the forgotten parts, where only a few resided.

In the end, she won. But from the beginning, Gray never stood a chance.

And oh, how happy they were! Every day was like a fairytale, like her dreams, like her hopes. He had learned to open up, to let other people in. He stopped putting chains around his heart, and his world grew irrevocably bigger. He had _her_ to thank for that – and he did.

By now, everybody noticed that he fell for her, hard. Juvia saw it, too. The way he looked at her, the way he smiled at her, the way he held her, it all served to show that she was his most precious treasure, and she loved that. She loved knowing that she made him crazy about her, and she loved knowing she managed to melt that man's icy heart and turn it into water she could easily control. She felt accomplished. She felt satisfied. But very soon, she realized.

She didn't feel enamored anymore.

The tingling feeling in her stomach that she would get every time she saw him was gone. She didn't feel the need to be constantly by his side anymore – sometimes, she even grew tired of his presence. It seemed that, the more he was warming up, the more she was cooling down. It made Juvia feel like a traitor. She was awful, she didn't deserve the care and love Gray showered her with. Bit by bit, the feelings she had for him disappeared or dulled away, leaving her almost indifferent towards a man she once swore she'd love till the end of her days.

Oh, he didn't deserve this. No, he didn't deserve this, and if she told him about it, she knows she'd break him for good, and probably render him unable of ever feeling again. She'd turn him back into the distrustful man he once was, or something even worse. Not even his friends would be able to save him, because he had spent so long fighting the previous shield around his heart that he had no energy left to fight the one that would come after it. He would give in to the ice once again forming around his heart. And Gray didn't deserve that.

That left Juvia with only one choice – to pretend. To act as if everything was the same as always, and hope that her act would be convincing. Something like that was cruel, too, but it was far better than destroying him. Lying to him. Juvia will lie to him.

Then one day, perhaps, her old feelings would be back again.

But even if they don't return, Juvia will never leave Gray.

That's what she had promised.

And she will keep that promise.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I can't believe I did this to them. It's the first (and probably the last) time I'm writing a dysfunctional Jerza. Their love is just too painful already, God, and I had to go and do this. My poor babies. I'm sorry. (I think?)**

Title: One more

Summary: ... and it's over.

Word count: 309

* * *

When did it all fall down? When have they become so _broken_?

It used to be okay. Everything was right. She was always smiling, and he was always happy, and they dreamed of the future, impatiently waiting for it to come.

Now they are afraid of it.

Because every single minute, no, every single _second _something bad waits to happen to them and they are scared to move forward. If only they could turn back the time. If only they could return to the days filled with laughter and warmth, when every corner of their hearts was shining _red_, representing their love and passion, their burning emotions, their happiness.

It's gone now.

The red is gone, and it's replaced by somber _blue_, which paints their souls with sadness and regret, hopelessness and despair, questions and dull answers. Their love is far from dead. But it's turning into something they never wanted.

Why them? Wasn't their story depicted as one of the most beautiful and heartwarming? Weren't they considered the couple which shone like the sun, radiating light and leading everyone's way? So how? _How _did it all come crushing down on them, burying them in the debris of their own feelings, as if mocking them? They refused to accept it. They fought. With their _arms and hearts and souls_ they fought, but to no avail.

They had to face the truth. And they did.

That's why, both of them made their decisions.

One more lie, and she will leave. One more tear, and he will disappear, never to return. They are standing on the edge of an abyss, and one more wrong step could lead them falling into darkness. Just one more. Just that.

One more scream.

One more cry.

One more wrong move.

_One final straw._

Just _one_ more silent plea for mercy.

And they will be gone.


	16. songfic 2

**A/N: A songfic based on the song "Beautiful girl" by Broken Iris. It's set after _that _happened (you know, Jellal, Erza, beach, sunset and YOU FREAKING IDIOT WHY DID YOU PUSH HER AWAY). Ahem. Anyway. Please enjoy. The previous two chapters as well. ;)**

Title: Beautiful girl

Word count: 374

* * *

He's woken up by the soft rays of light that shimmer through his shelter and he slowly blinks away the sleep.

He's dreamt of her. Again.

In his dreams, she usually curses him, wishing he was never born and blames him for all of the unhappiness she's experienced. She tells him that she wishes she never met him, and that her life would have been so much better without him in it. She looks at him as if he were the devil itself – and he believed he was. This time, though, it was different. (Maybe it's because the images of her silky hair, chocolate eyes and rosy lips so close to him are still vivid in his mind.)

In the dream, she lays next to him, so beautifully happy, and smiles at him like he's the center of her world. She gently caresses his cheek and whispers sweet words he longs to hear, but knows he's not allowed to. She holds him close, and he realizes that he, too, is holding her, tightly, like she would disappear any second (and she would), but also tenderly, afraid that he would break her if he used more force.

He knows this has to be a dream because even though it feels real (wonderfully real), it will never be. He can't hope for something so magnificent to happen to someone like him, no. Still, he lets himself absorb the pleasant feelings surrounding him, knowing that when he wakes up, he will feel emptiness again. And truly, just like he expected, as soon as he opened his eyes, his heart began breaking and crumbling away, leaving nothingness behind.

But it's for the better.

He's a sinner that has dirtied his hands too much, and he will never let himself try and catch her. Her place is up above, with her friends and other saints, and if he pulled her towards him, he'd be pulling her down. So, even though he will most certainly never forget her, never forget what she means to him, never forget what he feels for her, he won't ever say those three (broken) words to her. He will never reach out for her.

Because she's an angel, and angels must never touch the ground.


	17. songfic 3

**A/N: Based on one of my favorite songs, "Love is a laserquest" by Arctic Monkeys. (I strongly recommend listening to it). I just couldn't get rid of this picture of Jellal sitting in a chair, reminiscing the "old times", and I had to write this. It's obviously an AU, so their traits differ from the canon, hopefully they aren't unacceptable. :)**

Title: Love is a laserquest

Word count: 660

* * *

All it took was seeing a silky scarlet thread.

Just that, and all those memories that he's been trying so hard to keep locked away in the furthest corners of his heart and mind came back to him like the flashbacks of life you get when faced with a near death situation. So, as soon as he returned to his empty apartment he has to call home, he opened the bottle of whiskey he had been saving and poured himself a glass.

…

She was beautiful.

Her eyes were a brilliant chocolate, always shining with emotions no one could ever decipher. Her lips were always pink, always _inviting_, so hard to resist. She smelled like strawberry and vanilla, and her fragrance was simply _intoxicating_ – no man could resist her. Her skin was _perfect_. Clean, soft, with flawless complexion. Her curves were flattering, and she could make anyone swoon over her – she used that knowledge to make them all fall. But the most amazing part of her was her hair. Yes - he recalled as he poured himself another glass - her hair was his favorite. Never had he seen such vibrant shade of red. That color would forever haunt him.

She was unattainable, though. Many tried to tie her down, but she never let her freedom be taken away from her. Without denying, that was one of the things he loved about her. But it was also the thing that turned him into what he is now.

He never meant to fall for her, _never_. He wasn't stupid. He knew that love was nothing but a game to her, and he told himself that he wouldn't become another one of those guys who gave their hearts and souls to this heartless woman. He knew her tactics, the way she played, every card she had in her sleeve. And that woman knew that _he_ was different. She knew that he would be harder to crack than the ones before, but that was just what she was looking for – a challenge. And he, so stubbornly confident with himself, decided to play along. He played to win.

But in the end, _she_ won. She took his everything and made him an empty shell, far from the man he once was. He can't seem to feel anymore, not as strongly as he used to. After she left, he had many others, but none of them ever mattered. And he tried, he tried so hard to convince himself that _she _didn't matter either, that she was just some lover he had, that she didn't mean to him what she really did. What she, possibly, still does.

Sometimes he wondered how she was. It's been years, decades since he saw her. He wondered was she still as wild as ever. She remained a heart breaker - without a doubt - but maybe, just maybe, she finally realized what love really was. Maybe someone came along, someone who managed to tame her, to show her the true meaning of the emotion she had been playing with all that time. Maybe she realized she was wrong. And, hopefully, he mused as he emptied the bottle (like he often did a long time ago), she realized she had been cruel, and she felt strong guilt take her over. He (and all the others) deserved at least that.

Getting up to throw the bottle away, he felt a familiar wetness graze his cheek. He bitterly laughed, never bothering to dry it, and took out a cigar. He was always seen as a man without emotions – who knows what the others would think if they saw him cry?

The last rays of sun disappeared behind the horizon, and the bloody red sky was replaced by a grieving blue. And the broken man who sat on an old chair alone in his cold apartment closed his eyes, dreaming of a red haired woman, wondering will he ever be able to forget her.


	18. songfic 4

**A/N: Aaand this one was written based on the song "Not strong enough" by Apocalyptica and Brent Smith. It's short, and in the canon universe, unlike the previous one.**

Title: Not strong enough

Word count: 281

* * *

They stumble around in her apartment, bumping into tables and armors, making them fall over (she doesn't seem to care, or at least notice), and he doesn't even have the time to think. How exactly_ did_ this happen? They were supposed to have just a normal conversation, a light talk between _friends_, so how did they end up kissing each other senseless?!

"_Oh, right. That must be the reason",_ he thinks as he lays her on the bed while she is taking his cloak off, in need of more skin contact.

He's not strong enough.

No matter how much he tries to stay away, no matter how much he tries to convince her (and himself) that he is not good enough for her, that she deserves so much better – hell, she deserves the whole world - he keeps on coming back to her. Her scarlet hair is a flame to him and, just like a moth, he finds himself burning in its fire, enjoying the scars of love it leaves upon him. And if he looks into her eyes, he knows he'll lose right away, because they leave him feeling completely exposed, and he has little choice but to give in to them, to fulfill anything they ask of him.

And right now, he's stuck between pleasure and pain, because he _knows _this is wrong, but it _feels _so right, so he just surrenders, too weak to stop this blissful madness he got himself into.

He can try, again and again, but he'll always return to her. And he'll accept this. He finally has an answer, after all.

He's just not strong enough.

(So he drowns in his sins even deeper.)


	19. songfic 5

**A/N: Based on the song "Forevermore" by Broken Iris. (I think I'm not the only one who thinks that that song talks about the _do_, just in a more... refined way. Doesn't matter, I like it anyway ;). )**

**If it isn't obvious enough, the couple here is Jerza.**

Word count: 392

* * *

They lay in bed, his arms wrapped around her protectively, her neck serving as his pillow. Her beautiful scarlet locks are spilled all over _her_ pillow, and the sheets are crumbled around them. The covers that were kicked away almost completely have little to no use, but the shared warmth of their tangled bodies is more than enough to shelter them from the cold. As he wakes up, he slowly and lovingly inhales her sweet scent and realizes this is the first time he's ever felt _complete_. And now that he finally realized that there is no sound more beautiful than the sound of her voice calling his name, nor is there a look more beautiful than the one she keeps _only for him_, he has no intention of _ever_ letting her go. She is his, eternally.

As he feels the soft body in his hands stretch and roll around, he can't help letting a small, affectionate smile graze his lips. Everything that he ever dreamed of is right there, in his arms, and there was nothing more he could ask for. She turns around and, once again, there it is, that heavenly look she gives him that makes his heart pound ten times faster and takes his breath away. The look that shows love stronger than any we'll ever know.

"Good morning", she says, and he decides that he loves her voice no matter _what _she says.

"Good morning", he replies as she snuggles closer to his chest, listening to his heartbeat, reassuring herself that all of this is _real_, that they are finally together. She lifts her head, and the seriousness in her eyes makes him shift uncomfortably, scared of her (obviously _delayed_) reaction. What she says next, though, makes his heart squeeze from the pain and the love her request caused.

"Stay with me", she pleads, locking her eyes with his, voice full of desire and hope, almost desperate. She can't lose him, not again, not after she had him so close. He gently smiles at her as he slowly lowers his head to kiss her lips. The kiss is quick and chaste, and he pulls away to lock their eyes again. Now she is the one smiling, because even without words, his eyes show her all that she needs (and wants) to know. He tells her anyway.

"Forevermore."


	20. songfic 6

**A/N: "Say you will" by Evanescence, featuring Juvia! :D This is also a very short drabble, as it is one of the first ones I've written...**

Word count: 293

* * *

It's taking him _way_ too long.

And don't get her wrong, she knows that her _Gray-sama_ is really bad at dealing with emotions, and that he needs more time than others to think them through and figure them out, but it hasn't been only a few days since she asked him _that_ question. No, it wasn't only a few weeks, either. Not a few months. _A year_. It took him (actually, _still is_ taking him) a whole year to figure out the response to her seemingly innocent question.

Really, she never thought it would be _this _hard for him to answer. She only wanted to know where she is standing, nothing more.

"_Gray-sama, just _what_ is_ _Juvia to you?"_

_Any_ answer would have been fine. A friend, a sister, an acquaintance… She wanted him to give her an answer, a clear cut answer, because she is simply getting _too _tired of holding on to something she's not even sure exists. Does he like her? Does he not? He's never made himself clear enough, because, no matter how many times he rejects her, the rejection is too weak and he ends up once again accepting her advances (in a way), only to tell her off later. She is forever stuck in that limbo, and she doesn't know what to do. So she tries to make him clarify himself. _Of course, _she wants him to tell her he loves her. _Of course_ she wants to make him feel the way she does. But if he can't love her, or _doesn't want to_, he needs to tell her. Because she really needs to know what is real, and what is not.

"_Will he love Juvia, or will he not?"_

She is still waiting for an answer.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: I've got just a few more short stories I'll be posting here, and then I'm working on something else, though I might update this collection once a while as well. Uh, this one's older as well, but I hope you'll like it. :)**

Title: The word he hates the most

Summary: Words are like weapons sometimes.

Word count: 593

* * *

If you asked him which word is the one he loves the most, the answer would be clear. _Scarlet_.

Like the color of her hair.

Like the name he had given her long ago.

Like the bond they share through thick and thin, no matter what. The string that keeps them connected. Inseparable.

Yes, _scarlet _is his favorite word.

Then what about his least favorite? Surely, if he has a favorite word, then he must have the least favorite one, too. A word he doesn't like. Maybe even hates. A word like that exists, right?

There are many words he isn't fond of. "Possession" being one of them. "Hate". "Murder" or "murderer". "Sinner" and "saint". "Tower" and "heaven". They all remind him of his "past", a painful existence, something that always haunts him, stalks him and never lets him go. They creep up to his spine, and he lets them, because he believes that they, too, are just another form of his "punishment". So he never fights them.

But there is one word, one form of combined letters that he _hates._

Almost.

It's the word _almost._

Because, when he was a little boy, he _almost _had a happy childhood. And when he was taken away, he _almost _never lost faith. And when he was in that "tower", he _almost _escaped, along with his friends and his dearest _scarlet._

Almost.

He once almost freed himself of the "possession". He once almost released his friends from the golden cage they were in. He almost won. He _almost_ won.

But then, the _almost _stopped coming, just when he needed it the most.

He didn't _almost _finish the "tower". He didn't _almost _put his friends in danger. He didn't _almost _lie to his _scarlet. _Didn't _almost _hurt her. Didn't _almost _break her heart.

He didn't _almost _kill his friend.

But he almost killed _her_.

Then _he_ almost died.

Though he was resurrected by a girl that almost knew him. And he lost all of his memories. _Almost _all of them. "Erza". Another word he loves and thinks of so dearly. His "light" and "courage". His sanity. His everything.

He almost succeeded in destroying the Nirvana. But then he was interrupted by a man that could have almost been his mentor. He was helped though, by _her_ friends. By the ones he could have killed. By the ones who could have been _his_ friends too.

He was almost free and he almost heard his most important one tell him something. But he wasn't. But he didn't. And now, he realizes, those two will forever stay that: the chances he _almost _got. Almost free. Almost happy.

The one who broke him out of jail was the one he almost hated. He couldn't hate her completely - she was almost like him. With her was a small girl, a child that might have been happy, could have been happy, like the both of them. So they formed a guild for those who repent themselves. Who could never reach light, but refuse to stay in the darkness.

When he heard she disappeared along with her friends, his world almost shattered. But the connection was still there, so he knew she was alive somehow, and he waited for her.

They almost kissed.

_Almost_.

He almost let his feelings burst out, and she almost accepted them, but he couldn't let her. He must never let her. Because he can't have her.

He will always be hers.

But she will always only _almost _be his.

Almost. Almost. _Almost_.

It really is a horrible word.


	22. songfic 7

**A/N: Based on "Shoulda" by Hinder.**

Word count: 285

* * *

She caught him by surprise.

He didn't expect her to come (looking more serious and determined than ever) and drop the bomb on him. _The _bomb. The way she said it surprised him even more. She didn't say it in that annoying, squealing tone, she didn't have hearts instead of eyes, nor did she call him _Gray-sama_. She didn't refer to herself in third person, either. No. She poured her heart out, honestly saying what she felt. And it freaked him out. Because, up until that moment, he could always dismiss her love as an admiration and ignore it. Not anymore. He couldn't pretend anymore. But God, he was so freaked out he made up some lame excuse that he was running late and that Erza would kill him. He sprinted past her and didn't even notice the way she sighed, tired and disappointed, as if she's had enough. Damn, if he knew. If only he knew.

It's been a month now. She disappeared from her mission without a trace, and couldn't be found anywhere. They have been searching for her restlessly and still couldn't find so much of a clue. She was gone like she had been swallowed up by the earth, and Gray was losing his mind. Was this his fault? If he had acted differently, would she have still been here? Maybe… If only… He had said those three words back to her… But it was all in the past and he knew he couldn't do anything about it. Still… If she doesn't return… If they don't find her…

This can't be saved.

_They _can't be saved.

And Gray will never forgive himself.

_(I could have… I should have… I would have…)_


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Just had this idea one day and had to write it down. I wrote two drabbles with this kind of theme - one for Jerza and one for Gruvia. I've compared those pairings to the elements of nature - air and water, respectively.**

**This one is Jerza, and the element is air. Hope you'll like them both. :)**

Title: Gust of air

Summary: To keep them alive.

Word count: 508

* * *

Saying that someone's love is like the air sounds strange, doesn't it? But just think about it for a minute.

It actually makes sense. _(They would know.)_

Yes, look at _them_. Look carefully. Ask yourself: "_What is _the air", then pay attention to the love they are harboring. It's clear now, isn't it? You can see it, can't you? The overflowing similarities, which make you wonder: "How did I not notice this before?!"

Because, air is something essential, something that keeps us living. Just like _their _love keeps _them _alive. They need it, to know that they are breathing, that their hearts are beating, that they are _still there_. It's a reminder that, as insignificant as they are, they exist. Him and her. They are _real_.

And air is invisible, hidden, and their love is hidden as well. Others don't know – they only guess, joking around but never saying anything serious. They can't even imagine. No, they can't even try to understand just what kind of feeling nests in their hearts, always there, never to go away. Unable to be shown, the feeling only grows, the physical distance only further fueling its growth, and they can't fight it. They _don't_ fight it. They let it roam freely, at least in the chambers of their hearts.

Untouchable. Like the air, slipping through their fingers each time they try to grasp it, leaving them frustrated, despondent, crestfallen - once again, they reached and, once again, they failed. But at the same time it's unbreakable, indestructible. Nobody else can reach it, either, so no one can try and destroy it. _They _can at least feel it. To them, that's enough. _(At least for now.)_

And in the same way the air can produce light breezes that calm your soul and mind and raging storms that bring despair and demise, their love can turn wrong into right and right into wrong. Their love can ruin. Their love can heal. Their love can save. Their love can kill. Their love can turn the world upside down and it can bring the angels to hell and the demons to heaven. It's that strong. That's why they keep it contained - they can't lose control, it's too dangerous. But it's meant for good and they know it. _Its_ strength is _their_ strength and that's the reason they are able to fight for this world. That's why they can protect this world. That is why they _will save _the world. For love. _Because_ of love.

And, remember, air is always present. It has been here for so long, and it will be for many years to come. Everlasting. Eternal. Like them - they are always there, guiding and watching over each other. Connected with an invisible, but unbroken bond. Inseparable.

So every time a gust of air reaches them, they smile – it feels like the caress of the other.

In the end, forbidden or not, their love _will prevail_, there is no doubt. And the wind will sing them praises and carry their cries of victory.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: It shouldn't be surprising at all that I chose water for Gruvia. It's an obvious choice, no? :)**

**So anyway, this is the second out of two stories I wrote with the theme of elements, the first one being Jerza, and the element air (the previous chapter). Now, I present you Gruvia, and their trademark element - water (because ice is just a frozen water, right?). :D**

Title: Drop of water

Summary: Just enough to keep her sane.

Word count: 497

* * *

Sometimes, she thinks he's _really_ not being fair. At all.

Because, how can he do this to her?

He's turned her into a mess of emotions, and her head is _full _of pictures about him, and them, and the future she so desperately wants. It makes her feel like she's drowning.

But then, only a second later, she's there again. In the endless desert, with only scorching sun above her and burning sand beneath her. No one's there but her. She's all alone in the cruel vastness of the lifeless landscape.

And she can't help thinking that that desert represents their love all too well.

He was the one who freed her, who unlocked the doors to the world around her, who rescued her from her cage. Now there she was, trapped in that freedom, not knowing left from right, losing herself. The sun, the beautiful creation that she couldn't see before him is now mockingly trying to burn her down with the passion of _her own_ feelings. Worst of all, there is no water anywhere. She can't survive without it. But she can't seem to find it.

The water. Her salvation. _His love._

It happens once in a while. She sees the oasis in the distance, and her heart speeds up again. It's here! She's saved! So she runs towards it, runs like there's no tomorrow, runs because she _knows _that her life depends on that heaven, because no one - let alone her - can survive being in the desert without water for so long. She's racing, and racing, and racing towards it, without caring about the violent desert storms that always block her way, or the ever-changing ground beneath her that makes her fall more often than not. She ignores it all – she needs to get there. Just a little further, just behind this hill, and…

It was only a mirage, again.

Her knees buckle when the strength she had only moments ago leaves her and she stares at the empty space. She's learned not to cry, because not even her tears can bring the rain now. So why bother? She's not sure she could cry even if she wanted to.

But then, she notices something. Buried in the sand, barely visible, is a flask. And she knows what's in there.

Slowly, as if making sure she's not seeing things again, she reaches for it, and when she makes sure that, _yes, this is real_, she takes it and greedily drinks up every drop of water _he_'s offering her.

Oh, he loves to do that. Make her feel like there's no hope then throw her just enough of it so she decides to keep on torturing herself. He's so cruel. Yet so kind.

Refreshed by that little amount of life, she strengthens her back, looks ahead and keeps on walking, and walking, and walking in that endless desert that represents their love.

She will continue to play his game. _(But for how much longer?)_


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: And, this is the last drabble I have for this collection! As I said (way too many times) already, I might post something here again, but for now, think of it as "completed". Thanks to everyone who followed/favored/rewied! :D**

**The last drabble is Jerza, from Jellal's POV, in a modern AU. I hope you enjoy it! :)**

Title: The door

Summary: To him, it's an impassable obstacle.

Word count: 631

* * *

When he'd see those scarlet locks flutter about as their owner would run towards him, Jellal's day would brighten right away, no matter how bad it was up until then. Whatever had happened, she had a unique power to help him through it, or make it ten times better than it already was. But that was just Erza. Kind, bright, strong, with a heart made out of the sweetest, softest material on Earth. She's his best friend, and the one person he would do _anything _for.

So of course that he'd be her shoulder to cry on when she'd get heart broken. He was _her _best friend,as well. He'd always be there when the jerk she was seeing at the moment would make her cry. He'd hug her, comfort her, spend the day (or night, whenever she needed him) trying to cheer her up by eating her favorite cake with her, or playing their favorite game, or sometimes watching a romantic comedy, in which the bad guy always paid for everything he did and the good guy who was always there for the heroine would finally get his happy ending with her.

Those times, he'd try to ignore the irony behind _their _situation.

He can't help it. He's a coward that has made one too many mistakes in the past, and he certainly didn't deserve the warmest person he's ever met. Besides, she had never even shown the _smallest_ hint of feeling something more than friendship towards him, and he'd never risk the bond they had. So he always sucked it up. He always tried to _ignore_.

But those _damn_ feelings kept crawling back into his heart and mind, and sometimes he felt like he was loosing control, going insane, because a little voice inside his head would appear every now and then, taunting him, teasing him, _daring _him.

And there were times when he'd give in to the provocations.

He'd run, run like a madman, run like there was no tomorrow and the world was falling apart. He'd run with one goal in his mind, determined to reach it. It didn't matter if it rained, or if the wind was harsh, or if the sun above him scorched any and every man crazy enough to show its face to the blazing star. He'd run, never losing his direction. He'd run to _her_. His heart would beat erratically, his breath would fall short, but he'd _run _and run _and run_, and no one would be able to stop him. He'd hastily climb the stairway to her home, and the adrenaline would make his blood climb up to his brain, and he'd see red, and he'd _feel_ red, and at that moment he'd be ready to take on _the_ _whole world_.

And then he'd stop in front of her doors.

And just stare at them.

His heart beat would suddenly slow down, and his breathing would become deep and shaky, and his brain would finally start working the right way.

Only a knock away.

But he wouldn't be able to bring himself to do it.

So he'd stand, and stare, and hope that some miracle would happen and help him by destroying those doors, because he can't overcome them alone. Many times he found himself standing in front of those doors, rendered useless, unable to overcome a simple obstacle in the form of woods joined together. He'd stand and wait.

"_Just open the door."_

"_Open the _damn_ door."_

And, like every other time, his knees would buckle and he'd fall, cursing his own cowardice and inability, laughing at the _pathetic _man he was. Then, he'd slowly get up, turn away, and leave.

And tomorrow, he'd be just her best friend again, and she'd never know of the turmoil inside of him.

* * *

Once again, thank you all! :)

PS: JustMe, the one who reviewed on chapter 22, though I do agree with you that Juvia is much more than just a fangirl, I'm afraid I can't write what you asked of me, as I don't think I'd do a good job. Sorry. :)


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